Chapter 24 of Diane Ravitch’s book Reign of error is about the importance of having a rich curriculum in public schools. The No Child Left Behind Act and the recession of 2008 led to budget cuts in areas that were not being tested. In affluent areas, both private and public schools offer an array of courses from subjects beyond math and reading. Parents expect their children to be educated in many different subjects. Inequality is prevalent in the United States; this unequal opportunity hurts many students who are not enrolled in private schools, or have the funds to explore areas that aren’t offered in the school setting. The goal of school is to equip students with knowledge to thrive as citizens. The way to do this is to offer classes in a variety of subjects since each subject teaches an important lesson; for example, history is needed so students understand how wars were started and resolved. By focusing on test scores, there is a misconception of what is essential to education.
I did my research for the RI Strategic Plan project on a rich curriculum; this chapter was interesting to read after having prior knowledge about the topic. Having a rich curriculum would veer away from teaching solely to prepare for required state testing. The part I disagreed with Ravitch about was the belittling of workforce preparation; I think the addition of that in school would make a difference in a student’s future. The importance of school could be increased by standards of parents, students, and teachers with a rich curriculum by broadening the topics learned and better preparing students for the world. By doing this, students will grow and be better citizens. I think the ‘game of school’ would be minimized because teachers would have more control over their role in the classroom and students would have many different subjects to learn. School may become more interesting with the implementation of many subjects and students would in turn become more engaged.
Notes on Chapter 24:
-arts, science, history, literature, civics, geography, foreign languages, mathematics, and physical education
-No Child Left Behind Act led to cutting of other subjects (that weren’t required/tested)
-2008 recession also led to budget cutsàcut out extras
-demanding families would expect much more than basic skills; full, rich curriculum
-school is needed to make students good citizens
-misconceived notion that test scores are more valuable than a wholesome curriculum
-liberal arts teach things that cannot be taught in other settings/courses
-talents, careers, and citizenship should be explored
I did my research for the RI Strategic Plan project on a rich curriculum; this chapter was interesting to read after having prior knowledge about the topic. Having a rich curriculum would veer away from teaching solely to prepare for required state testing. The part I disagreed with Ravitch about was the belittling of workforce preparation; I think the addition of that in school would make a difference in a student’s future. The importance of school could be increased by standards of parents, students, and teachers with a rich curriculum by broadening the topics learned and better preparing students for the world. By doing this, students will grow and be better citizens. I think the ‘game of school’ would be minimized because teachers would have more control over their role in the classroom and students would have many different subjects to learn. School may become more interesting with the implementation of many subjects and students would in turn become more engaged.
Notes on Chapter 24:
-arts, science, history, literature, civics, geography, foreign languages, mathematics, and physical education
-No Child Left Behind Act led to cutting of other subjects (that weren’t required/tested)
-2008 recession also led to budget cutsàcut out extras
-demanding families would expect much more than basic skills; full, rich curriculum
-school is needed to make students good citizens
-misconceived notion that test scores are more valuable than a wholesome curriculum
-liberal arts teach things that cannot be taught in other settings/courses
-talents, careers, and citizenship should be explored